Tuesday 14 April 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 48)

[Mike Brown]

Countdown recap for Tuesday 14 April 2009 (Series 60 Prelim 48).

C1: Champion Shane Roberts (3 wins, 284 points.)
C2: Challenger Bob Savage (from Twickenham in Middlesex).
DC: Susie Dent and David Lloyd.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.

As David Lloyd might say: will Shane continue to improve after scoring his maiden century on Monday, or will he be bowled over by the incoming Bob Savage? Let’s find out...

R01: D E T I Q E T I U
R02: A I E D L R V O L
R03: T I P A D O R A L
R04: O E O R S Z F E R
R05: 1, 8, 10, 8, 7, 2. Target: 568.
TTT: GIFTCHAT - "A scrap between Deeley and Stevens, perhaps."
R06: I O E K N M S U R
R07: G E B O C U R I R
R08: E O E S G Y I S H
R09: D E L I G A N E N
R10: 25, 9, 3, 5, 2, 8. Target: 302.
TTT: TEAGUARD - "Mrs Robinson's definitely qualified."
R11: D O T A W O T A L
R12: E A I S N D X O N
R13: S E B I P A T E S
R14: 100, 2, 2, 8, 6, 3. Target: 879.
R15: S T E E L I D A D (conundrum)


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Round 1: D E T I Q E T I U

C1: QUIETED (7)
C2: QUIETED (7)
DC: QUITTED (7) (JS)
Score: 7–7 (max 7)

The ugly-sounding QUITTED once more shows that Jeff is no slouch at the letters game.

Round 2: A I E D L R V O L

C1: OVERLAID (8)
C2: OVERLAID (8)
DC: OVERLAID (8)
OT: RIVALLED (8)
Score: 15–15 (max 15)

A cracking first two rounds for our players – can they keep up the standard?

Round 3: T I P A D O R A L

C1: PAROTID (7)
C2: PORTAL (6)
DC: PAROTID (7) ADAPTOR (7)
OT: TRIPODAL (8)
Score: 22–15 (max 23)

One of my favourite Countdown words for Shane (and DC), but everyone misses the darren-esque TRIPODAL.

Round 4: O E O R S Z F E R

C1: ROOFERS (7)
C2: FROZE (5)
DC: FRORE (5)
OT: REFROZE (7)
Score: 29–15 (max 30)

Unlucky for Bob, as he misses out on adding RE- to his offering, while Shane stretches his lead and DC miss the second max in a row.

Round 5: 1, 8, 10, 8, 7, 2. Target: 568.

C1: 568. (7x8x10)+8 (10)
C2: 568. (7x8x10)+8 (10)
Score: 39–25 (max 40)

An easy first numbers game, despite Shane picking his favoured choice of six small.

Teatime teaser: GIFTCHAT -> CATFIGHT

Round 6: I O E K N M S U R

C1: MINERS (6)
C2: MOUSIER (7)
DC: SMOKIER (7) MERKINS (7)
OT: MONIKERS (8)
Score: 39–32 (max 48)

Yikes - make that three maxes missed in a row, or are DC just being kind? Maybe they were put off by the definition of MERKINS (artificial genital hair, for those that didn’t see the show; try to slip that word into one of your conversations tomorrow).

Round 7: G E B O C U R I R

C1: COURIER (7)
C2: COURIER (7)
DC: COURIER (7) BROGUE (6)
Score: 46–39 (max 55)

Everyone spots the darren for maximum points.

Round 8: E O E S G Y I S H

C1: SHOES (5)
C2: -
DC: YOGIS (5)
OT: GOYISH (6) SIEGES (6)
Score: 51–39 (max 61)

A tough round. Interestingly, a female yogi is a yogini, which could be a handy word to know.

Round 9: D E L I G A N E N

C1: LEADING (7)
C2: DEALING (7)
DC: LINEAGE (7) DINGLE (6) NEEDLING (8) (JS)
OT: DIGENEAN (8)
Score: 58–46 (max 69)

Another great spot for the Stellmeister; a DIGENEAN is a parasitic flatworm requiring multiple hosts to complete its life cycle. David Lloyd actually said they had spotted LINAGE, which confused Susie; I suspect he was mispronouncing LINEAGE, and have recapped on this basis, but I could be wrong.

OoW: Susie discusses the origins of the phrase ‘not by a long chalk’.

Round 10: 25, 9, 3, 5, 2, 8. Target: 302.

C1: 302. ((9+3)x25)+2 (10)
C2: 302. ((9+3)x25)+2 (10)
Score: 68–56 (max 79)
An even easier numbers game gives Shane and Bob another 10 points apiece and it’s still anybody’s game as we go to the break.

Teatime teaser: TEAGUARD -> GRADUATE

Round 11: D O T A W O T A L

C1: TOTAL (5)
C2: TOTAL (5)
DC: TOTAL (5) WALDO (5)
OT: DWAAL (5) LADOO (5) LOTTA (5) LOTTO (5)
Score: 73–61 (max 84)

A bit of a non-event of a round. A WALDO is a remote control and always reminds me of Stewart Holden, as he was the first to offer it on Countdown back in Series 51 (when the plural was WALDOES – it’s now WALDOS, fact fans). A DWAAL is a South Africanism for an absent-minded state, as sometimes displayed by Countdown presenters (though not recently).

Round 12: E A I S N D X O N

C1: ANIONS (6)
C2: SINNED (6)
DC: DIOXANE (7)
OT: ANODISE (7) OXIDASE (7)
Score: 79–67 (max 91)

DC are back on form with DIOXANE. OXIDASE is another nice seven worth keeping in your back pocket, but don’t confuse it with OXIDATE, which isn’t allowed.

Round 13: S E B I P A T E S

C1: PASTIES (7)
C2: BEASTIES (8)
DC: BAPTISES (8)
Score: 79–75 (max 99)

Just as it was beginning to look like Shane might have it sewn up, Bob comes up with a great eight to really liven up the match...

Round 14: 100, 2, 2, 8, 6, 3. Target: 879.

C1: 880. (100+6+2+2)x8 (7)
C2: 880. Mistake in working.
RR: 879. ((100-3)x(8+(2/2)))+6 (10)
Score: 86–75 (max 109)

... but then it all goes horribly wrong with a miscalculation (sadly, his workings led him to 890) and the result is beyond doubt...

Round 15: S T E E L I D A D

C2 buzzes on 21 seconds to say DEADLIEST which is correct.
Score: 86–85 (max 119)

... but at least Bob gets the consolation prize of a conundrum spot, and this would have been one of those times when Des O would probably have said “isn’t it amazing how often the losing player gets the conundrum.” A great challenge from Bob and he can go home with his head held high, while Shane is now halfway to becoming an octochamp. What next for the boy from Bristol?

Recap by Steeli Dad.

Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=60

[Phil Reynolds]

David Lloyd actually said they had spotted LINAGE, which confused Susie; I suspect he was mispronouncing LINEAGE

We already covered this in the spoiler thread. Of course, David may very well have been mispronouncing LINEAGE meaning ancestry, but the way he said it is also the pronunciation of LINEAGE (a variant spelling of LINAGE) meaning a line count in printing.

Edit: see hear.

Excellent recap, Mike, with some useful insights into some of the words.

[Mike Brown]

We already covered this in the spoiler thread. Of course, David may very well have been mispronouncing LINEAGE meaning ancestry, but the way he said it is also the pronunciation of LINEAGE (a variant spelling of LINAGE) meaning a line count in printing.

I actually meant to read the spoiler thread before doing the recap, but forgot on this occasion. Interesting what you say about LINEAGE as a printing term, and I daresay it's correct, but in the ODE2r, that definition is only spelt as LINAGE (and LINEAGE is only listed with the trisyllabic pronunciation). I think that's probably done it to death!

[Phil Reynolds]

Interesting what you say about LINEAGE as a printing term, and I daresay it's correct, but in the ODE2r, that definition is only spelt as LINAGE (and LINEAGE is only listed with the trisyllabic pronunciation). I think that's probably done it to death!

Or DE'ATH...

Bedtime thought: why does TRISYLLABIC have four syllables?

[Jon Corby]

Yeah I work in publishing (sort of) so I'm familiar with LINEAGE as David Lloyd pronounced it. Amusingly there's pretty much a 50/50 split in the company of people who spell it with the 'E' and people who spell it without, which causes inconsistencies all over the shop, particularly for guys like me trying to write systems.

Both are allowable spellings in many dictionaries, but the ODE2r is king in Countdown, so Mike is correct. Kinda.

[Peter Mabey]

Anyone who's read the original Heinlein story will know that a WALDO isn't the sort of remote control that hides under the sofa cushions. It actually is used for remote handling of dangerous materials (especially radioactive ones) and consists of a glove connected to a mechanical manipulator.

http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/waldo.jpg

[Dinos Sfyris]

Just catching up on this one as I was working Tuesday. Gutted I missed it as it seemed like a cracking game. Thanks for the recap Steeli Dad!

[Jon Corby]

Felt bad for the challenger in the final numbers game here. I fully expected him to say "oh, 2 TIMES the 2 and the 8 that you're taking off" or something to rescue himself, as I thought it had seemed that was likely what he was thinking, but instead he just chucked the towel in. Obviously it cost him the game too. Poor bloke'll be kicking himself, looked like a decent player.